This invention relates to an off-loading apparatus for placing electronic packages such as semiconductor devices into receptacles, commonly anti-static plastic tubes. Such receptacles are usually adapted to facilitate access by a pick and place handler. In particular, such off-loading apparatus is adaptable to accommodate packages and receptacles of different sizes.
In the course of manufacturing electronic packages, singulation machines or test handlers are commonly equipped with an off-loading apparatus to load electronic packages into receptacles, such as tubes, for transporting electronic packages to the next process station or to the customer. The sizes of the packages may vary from time to time depending on the needs of the customer. Such prior apparatus generally requires significant tooling changes to the off-loading apparatus for the accommodation of these packages and of tubes of different sizes. Therefore, time is wasted for the conversion and as a result the overall up-time and productivity of the system is reduced.
Further, in prior apparatus, the conversion of tube off-loaders to accommodate electronic packages of various sizes is achieved by the use of replacement tool-sets. If the off-loader is required to handle a large variety of packages of different sizes, the user will need to keep a corresponding range of tool sets. If the conversion is done very often, the down-time can be significant.
It is an object of the invention to mitigate disadvantages of the prior art, in particular, the need to keep a whole range of replacement tool-sets to accommodate packages and receptacles of different sizes.
According to the invention, there is provided an apparatus for loading items of varying size such as electronic packages into a receptacle therefore, comprising means automatically to adjust dimension parameters of the apparatus whereby to accommodate at least packages of different size and load same into a receptacle therefor.
The present invention thus seeks to provide an improved mechanism for an off-loading apparatus. It enables automatic adjustment of the apparatus to programmable widths when the accommodation of packages of different sizes is required. If the conversion avoids the need to replace and align tooling, a shorter conversion time can be achieved.
It will be convenient to hereinafter describe the invention in greater detail by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention. The particularity of the drawings and the related description is not to be understood as superseding the generality of the broad identification of the invention as defined by the claims.